GENEVA, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Four Nigerians, including a woman who died last week, will be tested for bird flu after developing respiratory problems, a World Health Organisation (WHO) spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

WHO update To date, four patients with respiratory symptoms and a history of exposure to diseased poultry have been investigated for possible infection. This number includes a woman who died of an acute respiratory illness on 16 February. The three remaining patients are all in good condition.

Arrangements are being made to send samples from all four patients for testing at a WHO collaborating laboratory in the United Kingdom.

The initial outbreak in Kaduna state is now known to have begun on 10 January, raising the possibility that earlier human exposures and cases may have occurred in that area and elsewhere. At hospitals in Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina near affected farms, staff from the WHO-led teams have now examined hundreds of patient records, searching for possible cases that may have occurred earlier. No such cases have been identified to date.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------les 3 autres patients vont bienon s'arrange pour que les prvts aillent au labos de reference en angleterre